Broughty Ferry Local Nature Reserve

By foot or bicycle ...The reserve is located just off the Green Circular route walking and cycling route.

By car ...Situated just 15 minutes drive from Dundee city centre on the north side of Broughty Ferry Esplanade.

By bus ...A good bus service runs along Monifieth Road, adjacent to the north of the reserve. Call Traveline for details on 0870 608 2608 or visit www.dundeetravelinfo.com

Inhabitants of the Reserve

Birds and MammalsBank voles live among the long grass and are often seen crossing the paths or areas of short grass. Look and listen out for toads, tawny owls and various songbirds. Roe deer can sometimes be spotted hiding among the undergrowth.

PlantsListed as important for its wildlflowers back in 1989, the reserve supports bluebells, sea lyme grass and meadow saxifrage, among many others. See and smell them at their best in May and June.

Origins of the Reserve

Scotland was pushed into the Earth under a mass of ice, in some places more than one mile thick.

Seas inundated previously dry land and formed new beaches as the ice melted, allowing the land to rise again and the River Tay and the North Sea to assume their current positions. This left the new sandy beaches high and dry.

Broughty Ferry Local Nature Reserve is a good example of a raised beach. Here the sand-dunes lie on top of bedrock composed of Andesitic Lava, which had been pushed up from underground. Look out for lumps of lava as you walk through the reserve.

The Railways

October 1838 saw the opening of the Dundee to Arbroath railway. This line still runs along the northern edge of the reserve and carries trains to Aberdeen.

Another now disused line, and part of the reserve, once ran 17 miles to Forfar, passing through Barnhill, just north of the reserve.

This line opened on 14 November 1871, but lost its passenger service in January 1955 and goods (mainly farm produce and coal for home use) in October 1967.

Known as the Forfar District Line, the previous link to Forfar being via Arbroath.

This old track-bed is now a great retreat for many varieties of wildlife.

Countryside Ranger Service

In addition to our programme of events, Countryside Rangers provide a number of other services: